Windows
PVCu Window Framing
PVC or polyvinyl chloride is a plastic that is well known to all of us from plastic containers to bank or membership cards. PVCu is also a type of plastic, however with the difference that it is un-plasticised. Due to the environmental impact of PVCu, we do not support this product but have included it here for you to be able to make an informed decision. We believe there is a potential of PVCu to make it a better product by recycling old PVCu to make the windows, unfortunately so far we could not find any manufacturer doing this in New Zealand.
PVCu is especially in Europe and widely used on doors and windows. PVCu combines the benefits letting less warmth escape outside and no potential air leaks due to the fact that it doesn't expand or contract. However if you care about the appearance then PVCu might not be a good option as it does not always age gracefully. After a few years, it could look more and more like what it is made out of- plastic.
Advantages of PVCu windows:
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Does not degrade or require maintenance
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Can be recycled to its base plastic form
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PVCu doesn't warp or change shape over time
Disadvantages of PVCu windows:
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PVCu is made from oil- a limited resource at present
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While it can be recycled, a lot of energy is required to recycle it, creating more CO2 emissions
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Plastic tends to end up in our ocean or landfill eventually- being bad for natural organisms
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PVCu can become brittle and discolours over time